HUTT BOROUGH AFFAIRS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 565, 21 July 1909, Page 10

HUTT BOROUGH AFFAIRS.

MAJOR M'DONALD IN REPLY, THE QUESTION OF DIVI'IKSION, , In rcforenco to l.lin interview with Mr. WII. Russell on Hiitt lloroimli i»(Tnli«, iiubllshed on Monday week, a roporler ywjlol'day callwl on Major T. W. M'Uonnld. "I want to mako it quito clear #1, llio ont* sol," Major M'Ponnld miid, "that L am not at variance with Mr. Jtuiocll penionally. Wa havo boon close frionds for many years, nut whon quostions of public importance are raj«cd, I tliink 1 unoulil slato clftftily iny point of viow, Mr, ltuHfioll fiaid that iny, council hnd incronted tho waged of tho men by Is, pier day, which would mako a ilmerenco of about .1120 por week in tho loan works, hut ho hns evidently misrond tho report oi> tl") conneil meeting of January 15 t 11107; which ho quotes. A petition was presented by forty odd casual members of tho staff praying for an incroaso by Ifl. per day. I fltrongly opposed this, not bocauso I did not approvo of incrcasod wagefl, but -on account of want of funds and' tho oorious way tho loan works would bo affected. After considerable discussion, tho matter was referred to tho borough onginoer (Mr. Rix-Trott) to report to tho next mooting of tho council. Hfl rccommondca thati no incroaso fthould bo made, but that tho maximum wago bo made Is. ljd. per hour, and tho mimimum fixed at Is. por hour, and tliat ho should havo tho power to classify tho inon and award such increases between these, limits as ho deemed the men worth, so that' tho better men would get increases and tub council a hotter return for tho money. Tho council agreed to this unanimously, and no incroaso was approved of in my time. "With regard to tho day labour versus contract controversy,! Mr. Russoll stated that my council was the first to dopart from the. latter system. Whon tho loan works wcro first being considered, my council decided. to do the roinforced concrete culvert for the diversion of tho crooks and tho reservoir by day labour, and also decidod that all drains, opening ana filling of trenches, were to bo done by contract. My council earned out its part of the bargain, and on the creek diversions, iwo were under tho estimate. Tho incoming council (Mr. Peterkin's council) departed from this decision, and continued tho wholo of tne works on tho day labour system. • ■ "As to Everest's Creek, Mr. Russell shows beyond any doubt whatever that the Everest Creek money was nover diverted, for he quotes the actual motion moved by myseit, and approved by my council, where ye decided to further approach Petone to get them to agree to tho joint scheme to carry out tuo diversion of the. oreek, and, failing that, we decided to do the.work ourselves,in the only other way. Any balance was to bo spent in •the vicinity of Everest's Creek, but before this conference with Petone took placo, my eoun'cil went out of office. Therefore, ;if there was any diversion whatever,'; it ■ was on the Dart of the succeeding council. Mr council was always determined to. divert Everest s Creek. Tho fact of its having been done for surface drainage dees not affcct the question. Mr. Ruseell again _ evidently misunderstands the position when ho .that the was put to the ■ ratepayers as ohe loan anil could be used as such, ahd it,was immaterial whether any item in that loan exceeded or not. I want to say emphatichlly that this is not the • case, although 1 1 am sure Mr. Rußsell' understands it to be so. A perusal of the voting . paper' will make this perfectly 'dear, and it stated that the sums raised, *629,400 for drainage, sewerage, sanitation, v'jei7,SOO, .for the water supply, and Xißoo for 6treet improvements, etc., would be allocated in the amounts specified. . This shows clearly that there -.vero three separate loans, totalling £52,000. Either my council or his council : would be absolutely justified in expending the ifull amount of auy one of these respective ■sums on the works for which they were voted, but would not be justified in exoeeduig the amount, say fori water supply, and taking the extra amount required from drainage: and sewerage. There is an erroneous idea, which !Mr. Russell seems to have in common with others, that there was a-specific summon -the voting paper for surface drainage. Thiß is not the case. So long as we did not exceed £29,400 on surface drainage, sewerage, and I sanitation, we were within our rights. INone of the items on the voting paper was exceeded i'or anything like reached during] my p term of office. Surface drainage was }he first consideration with the council in deciding to go 'to the ratepayers for the loan,, and it was most urgently required at the.time, as most ; people in the Hutt.will remember that a large • area of the Taine Estate was covered with water, so much so that people could not. get to and from their residences through .a veritable lake. This, of course, through timely, question of. -my council, was speedily, telnoved, and, in tnis. way, the greater portion of tho surface dramage money weut. Will Mr. Russell or anybody else say that theso works were not of a most urgent nature? Tho first item on thovoting paper—drainage-rwas intended jo ■ imply Uo tne ratepayers -its relative importance to the other works." .. ' ■ "I also wish Ho make it perfectly clear, Major MDonald proceeded, that I do not hold Mr. Russell responsible for any deficiencies or any maladministration, or any defects, or any' discrepancy in'connection with tho carrying out of - the loan works, if, apy such havo been committed, and I do- not intend to enter into any contaoversy; exoept so. far as my own. administration is concerned. Asked about a statement concerning a letter to Mr. Rix-Trott, Major MDonald. replied: fit is-true that Mr. Rix-Trott..wrote;..to iqo officially, aAd asked me to give him a cortificate that certain works were authorised by 'my council. This I consented to do, and, after (Toing into the matter with him on Saturdav week, I gave him the' ccrtificata with the 'total amounts involved by the works snecified. -1 am not-:competent to exonerate or to blame him; I am only competent to 6ay what works were authorised by mj council with the sanction of the ratepayers 'Major M'Donald concluded by stating that he would be only too happly to make dear any point that arose during Ins .term of Office. His one desire'.was-that the matter, should be cleared up. ' .